How to identify fake "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" emails

What kind of email is "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification"?

After reviewing this "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" email, we determined that it is fake. This phishing message is presented as an alert concerning an incoming package. The goal is to deceive recipients into revealing their email account log-in credentials. It must be emphasized that this email is not associated with the DHL shipping and logistics company.

"DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "DHL Shipment Notification : 9939184275 To [recipient's_email_address]" states that the recipient can track their package using the provided link. It must be reiterated that this is a fake shipment notification that is in no way associated with DHL.

Pressing "Track my shipment Now!" redirects to a phishing webpage disguised as the DHL site. It requests the user to provide their email credentials to proceed. Phishing websites work by recording entered data and sending it to scammers.

Emails are highly targeted by cyber criminals, as they usually contain sensitive information and may open an avenue for stealing accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., social networking, messaging, file transfer, cloud storage, e-commerce, entertainment, online banking, money transferring, etc.).

To elaborate on the potential abuse, scammers can steal the account owner's identity and request loans or donations from contacts/friends/followers, promote scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files. Stolen finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

In summary, by trusting an email like "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" – users can experience serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have disclosed your account credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly compromised accounts and inform their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have investigated numerous spam campaigns; "Zoho - Update Your Payment Method", "Invoices Are Being Released", "SharePoint Secure Document Verification", "Important Alert On Your Microsoft Account", and "Multiple Unusual Sign-In Attempts Detected" are merely some of our latest articles on phishing emails.

Aside from log-in credentials, these emails often target personally identifiable information and financial data. It must be mentioned that various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to proliferate all kinds of malware.

Due to how widespread this mail is and how well-made it can be – we strongly recommend exercising caution within incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malspam is a commonly used method for distributing malware. These spam emails/messages include infectious files as attachments or download links. Virulent files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (EXE, RUN, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and other formats.

The infection chain is initiated once such a file is opened. However, certain formats require additional interaction to begin downloading/installing malware. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., content/editing), and OneNote documents require them to click on embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We advise vigilance with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant communications must not be opened, as they can be malicious.

However, malware is not spread exclusively through spam campaigns. Therefore, we recommend being cautious while browsing, as fake and dangerous online content usually appears genuine and harmless.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and trustworthy sources. Additionally, all programs must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal product activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates may contain malware.

It is paramount to have a dependable antivirus installed and kept up-to-date. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove active and potential threats. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" spam email letter:

Subject: DHL Shipment Notification : 9939184275 To ********

DHL Shipment Notification : 9939184275 To ********

DHL Express
Incoming Package Arrival Notification!

Hi ********,

This is to notify you that you have an incoming shipment registered in your email ********.
Please follow the URL below to track your shipment.

Track my shipment Now!

Thank you for letting us serve you better.

Regards,
DHL Customer Care

Excellence. Simply delivered.
international express deliveries; global freight forwarding by air, sea, road and rail;
warehousing solutions from packaging, to repairs, to storage; mail deliveries worldwide;
and other customized logistics services – with everything DHL does, we help connect people and improve their lives.

With a global network in over 220 countries and territories across the globe,
DHL is the most international company in the world and can offer solutions for an almost infinite number of logistics needs.

DHL Global © 2025 | All rights reserved.

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by this spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "DHL Express - Incoming Package Arrival Notification" phishing email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include information relevant to the recipients. Cyber criminals distribute these messages by the thousands, hoping that at least some recipients will fall for their scams.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private information (e.g., ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, reading an email is harmless. Devices are infected when malicious attachments are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

If the opened file was an executable – most likely, yes – the system was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document. These formats may need extra interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands, clicking embedded content, etc.) to initiate malware infiltration processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing nearly all known malware infections. Keep in mind that running a full system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious programs typically hide deep within systems.